Why do 40 million Americans have no health care?

Question

Shouldn't all Americans be covered before giving foreign aid to other countries?

a_bush_family_member, I believe your 32 million would have to be added not subtracted from the total.

Answer 1

Americans cannot afford the premiums. Where I work the premium for two people is $1000 per month. The company covers very little of the total cost. I don't opt in. Where my wife works the company pays a little more toward medical insurance so we are insured through her company. Some people where I work make only $9 per hour. With rent, groceries etc. they really don't have money left for insurance although it is available where they work. The problem is not so much lack of insurance but lack of AFFORDABLE insurance. If insurance companies don't take action to make it affordable for everyone than the government must step in. We can't continue like we have been.

Answer 2

Well actually, it's not 40 million americans.

It was 45 million people , living in america.

But 16 million of them are not US citizens.

And you could take all the foreign aid the US has given out since 1789 till 2007.

And it would not have paid for 6 months of universial health care in the US.

People tend to forget, just how much universial health care is going to cost.

Somewhere between one trllion and one point five trillion dollars a year.

Corporate and individual income tax's, only provided 1.4 trillion dollars in tax revenue in 2006.

So to continue spending at the current rates on other programs.

There would have to be a fundamental shift in US tax policy, to bring in an additional 600 billion to one trillion dollars each year.

Answer 3

I have no idea how many people don't get health care, but I think you're talking about insurance, not health care. I treat people without insurance several times a day every day, as do tens of thousands of other doctors, so let's be at least clear about that!
It's a complicated topic. The very poor generally are insured by Medicaid. The elderly and some others are covered by Medicare. Most of the rest are covered by private insurance, and in the US that's usually actuarially based, whereas in other contries it's based on a "social contract" model. We also have a ton of different insurance companies, each with a plethora of different insurance plans. This combination tends to raise costs, especially including administrative costs. We spend more on pushing insurance papers than it would cost to insure that forty-odd million people. Then, too, the cost of health care in the US is approaching $7000 per person per year. A lot of people simply can't afford that, and others anticipate they'll be likely to need less care than that, so they opt to spend their money elsewhere. Any "fix" to the system (or non-system, really) will require huge shifts in how insurance companies operate, and the insurance industry is a large and powerful one. I could go on forever, but this seems as good a place as any to stop.

Answer 4

the easy actuality which you're able to desire to have coverage... is a tragic state... coverage is the recent overlord in united states of america... think of roughly how a lot you paid for coverage 2 an prolonged time in the past, all coverage (vehicle, wellness, living house)... and now seem at how a lot you pay... even ingredient in how a lot those issues have won in cost (like a house)... does it even nevertheless study? i be attentive to those that throw hundred of greenbacks away each and each month for the main suitable coverage they are in a position to get... 2 an prolonged time down the line i might desire to work out that pile of money... and of course, a lot of those those that have not have been given coverage have jobs... why are there "jobs that don't furnish wellness care" besides? it incredibly is yet another question, yet solutions your question to a pair extent...

Answer 5

They do not.

That is a BS figure.

1st, eliminate the 15 million illegal immigrants from that number.

2nd, eliminate the 20 million people who had insurance through their work rather than being self insured, that switched jobs, are insured by their new comapny, but are counted in that figure anyway.

3rd, the figure is really 45 million, not 40. So we now have 10 million.

4th, some people do not choose to buy insurance because they feel that if their medical bills annually are less that 500 dollars, then they will pay more in insurance premiums than they will in self care. Therefore it is cheaper for them to not be insured. Further, if they drive to and from work, when they are in their car, workers comp covers them. If they are in an auto accident for personal trips, car insurance covers it. if they are injured at home, home owners, if at a social setting the insurance of the owner covers them...etc. Stike at least 5 million.

Therefore you are left with 5 million out of 300 million people, or less than 2% of the population. That also assumes that the 5 million would not qualify for medicare, medicaid, or SSI disability. Plus, no hospital can ever refuse emergency medical service, even to the uninsured.

Answer 6

It's a fallacy to believe most people choose not to receive health care that don't have it. I'm speaking from my experience but most people I've talk to have jobs but still can't afford care because the employer doesn't help out. This isn't a perfect system where people can come and go as they please.
Some jobs offer it some do not, it's just that simple.
I was listening to Conservative radio talk about how the cost war isn't really that much as far as the USA's GNP is concerned ( even though we are closing in on 1 trillion for it ) but people against universal health care always spout off about how it will cost too much.
Don't mind paying for war but balk when it comes to heath care. Somethings wrong in that way of thinking.

Answer 7

McDonalds, WalMart, 7-11's, and most other service industry jobs offer medical plans to employees who work 30-40 hours a week. As do most industries and workplaces. So 40 million people don't have health care because 40 million people are apparently too busy doing other things to get a full time job.

Answer 8

A lot of companies don't offer it because it costs too much. If the company cant afford it with huge volume discounts then you have to figure the regular person can not afford to get it themselves either.

I had a job that didn't offer it. I looked into getting it on my own and it would have cost 2-3 times as much as what companies charge. I couldn't afford it if I had wanted it.

Our country has its own problems. I would fix those before I helped the rest of the world out.

Teeny - I had a full time job as an engineer. Its not the skill its the size of the company. Small companies simply can not afford the huge expense without going broke.

Answer 9

Do you really believe that. I don't know anyone without health care and I live in Southwest Georgia. One of the poorest area's in the U.S. It's all bs from the idiot dem candidates. It's very unfortunate that so many people are so stupid as to believe this. Think about. Do you know anyone with no health care?? Probably not. Think about this. If there really is 40 million without health care 12-15 million are illegal immigrants who don't deserve any.. Poor people have Medicaid and old people have Medicare. Who does that leave to foot the bill for this so called universal health care plan. The middle class will be forced to use this and pay for it. Dems are blood sucking leeches to middle class America.....

Answer 10

because so many medical expenses have been covered for free that the way they make up for the lost monies is to charge ever higher premiums, therefore fewer Americans can afford those sky-high monthly premiums.

Also, there is a get rich quick scam afoot that is enriching pharmaceutical companies and their brainwashed doctors... they are forcing toxic drugs on Americans; these toxic drugs are all too often exacerbating the illnesses, thus paving the way for MORE manufactured drugs to be prescribed. It is a COSTLY and DEADLY vicious cyclical, circular, cyclical, method of medicine, and their mentalities MUST change before any of this becomes effective, or even actually gets affordable.